PARIS: Shuttler Manisha Ramdass kept India's medal hopes alive by progressing to the women's singles semifinals in the SU5 category, while Mandeep Kaur and Palak Kohli were eliminated from the Paris Paralympics after contrasting defeats in their respective quarterfinals on Sunday.
The 19-year-old Manisha, who was born with Erb's palsy, which affected her right arm, had no trouble dispatching Japan's Mamiko Toyoda, winning 21-13, 21-16 in the quarterfinal. The second-seeded Indian left-hander needed only 30 minutes to overcome her unseeded rival.
In the SU5 category, players have impairments of the upper limbs, which could affect either the playing or non-playing hand.
Competing in the SL3 category, Mandeep Kaur hardly posed a challenge to Nigeria's third seed Bolaji Mariam Eniola, losing the contest 8-21, 9-21 in just 23 minutes. It was Mandeep's second consecutive defeat against Eniola, having lost to the Nigerian in the group stage as well.
The SL3 category is for players with severe lower-limb disabilities who compete on a half-width court.
In the SL4 category, para world championship bronze medallist Palak Kohli went down fighting 19-21, 15-21 to Indonesia's Khalimatus Sadiyah in a 28-minute match. The SL4 class is for athletes competing while standing, with less severe impairments than those in the SL3 category.
Later in the day, Nithya Sivan Sumathy will compete in the last-eight stage in the SH6 category against Poland's Oliwia Szmigiel.
The men's singles semifinal in the SL4 category will be an all-Indian affair, with Suhas Yathiraj and Sukant Kadam clashing against each other. Meanwhile, Nitesh Kumar will fight it out with Japan's Daisuke Fujihara in the men's singles semifinal in the SL3 category.